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iPhone SE may be bigger hit than even Apple expected

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Loads of people love the iPhone SE's smaller form factor.
Big hits come in small packages.
Photo: Sam Mills/Cult of Mac

The iPhone SE may be Apple’s smallest iPhone, but it’s apparently a big hit — possibly even more so than Apple expected!

After Tim Cook spoke enthusiastically about the iPhone SE during Apple’s most recent earnings call, the company has reportedly upped its orders for the diminutive handset for next quarter.

Don’t bid farewell to iPhone 7’s headphone jack just yet

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iPhone 7 won't be cheap.
Has the rumor-mill been lying to us? Surely not!
Photo: Eric Huismann

One of the most widely-circulated rumors about the upcoming iPhone 7 is that it will ditch the 3.5mm headphone jack in favor of Lightning or wireless headphones.

But don’t be so certain that this is the case: a newly-published photo, reporting to be a shot of the next-gen iPhone internals, appears to show the headphone jack still hanging on despite rumors of its demise.

Tim Cook promises iPhone features you’ve never dreamed of

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LOVELOUD
Everything at Apple is great. Promise...
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Future iPhones are going to be so amazing, you probably haven’t even thought of the features Apple is going to add, Tim Cook claimed in a recent interview.

The Apple CEO appeared Monday on Mad Money in an effort to abate the company’s bleeding stock price following last week’s less-than-stellar earnings call. Cook reassured investors that the rumors of Apple’s demise have been greatly exaggerated once again.

While lackluster iPhone sales last quarter have scared off mega-investors and analysts alike, Cook promised some incredible innovation is in the pipeline. In addition to touting upcoming iPhone features, Cook’s wide-ranging conversation with Mad Money host Jim Cramer touched on everything from the Apple Watch being (inaccurately) dubbed a flop to Apple’s growing interest in India and much more.

Here are the highlights:

Wrap your iPad and iPhone in luxurious leather [Reviews]

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These lovely, leather folios are delightfully classy.
These lovely, leather folios are delightfully classy.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

SurfacePad for iPhone and iPad solves a problem I have with most folio-style cases.

These tend to cover up too much of the gorgeous Apple design without giving much in return. There’s always a trade-off between form and function. If you’re going to hide the gleaming Apple devices behind a case, at least make it look as classy and useful as Apple does.

The SurfacePad for folio cases from Twelve South are delightfully minimal, covering the front and rear of your iPad or iPhone in luxurious leather without sacrificing a refined look.

Teen uses lawn-mowing money to fund incredible Apple collection

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Alex's Apple Orchard
Alex's Apple Orchard occupied the basement of the family home.
Photo courtesy of Alex Jason

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugA 10-year-old kid in Maine finds an iMac G5 on Craigslist and arranges to trade a minibike and a snowblower for it.

The computer was supposed to be for games and homework. It instead proved to be the first piece in what is becoming one of the most significant private collections of Apple devices in the United States.

In an innovative economy, project management is a make-or-break skill [Deals]

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Learn one of the most valuable skills in the modern jobs marketplace with this comprehensive project management lesson bundle.
Learn one of the most valuable skills in the modern jobs marketplace with this comprehensive project management lesson bundle.
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

The tech market is all about iteration — build it, replace it, fail faster. Companies of all sizes launch and land constant streams of projects, like the sped up lights of airliners coming into LAX, each one needing someone skilled in seeing it through. That skill is called project management, and it’s one of the most in-demand capabilities anyone can bring to a gig. It’s a skill that you can learn, and this PMP Project Management Prep Bundle is a great place to start, offering comprehensive instruction and a leading project management certification. Right now you can get it for $65 at Cult of Mac Deals.

CareKit, Word Flow Keyboard, and other awesome apps of the week

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Awesome-Apps-of-the-Week2
What are this week's hottest apps?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Looking to get up to speed on the week’s hottest apps? We’ve got your back!

Since my colleague Evan Killham has already covered the latest hot iOS games, I’m focusing on non-gaming apps this week: whether that’s an all-new custom keyboard, relaunched Q&A platform, or an update to an existing live-streaming favorite. Check out our picks below.

Check out our store’s best deals for April [Deals]

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Get 200% charge with the thinnest battery case ever made
Get 200% charge with the thinnest battery case ever made
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Spring is here (finally) and that means we’re clearing out our Cult of Mac Store. Below you’ll find some of our favorite gear and other goodies going for at least half off of their normal price, from an ultra thin battery case to a private VPN service to a massive bundle of top notch apps that you can name your price for.

Take a gander:

Why Apple is optimistic, a one-year Apple Watch appraisal, and killer Instagram tips

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Why is Apple so optimistic?
Why is Apple so optimistic?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s executive team is optimistic about the company’s future, despite a bleak earnings call. And why wouldn’t they be? Apple’s slump brought in more money than most other tech companies out there.

Read all about the positive spin in this week’s Cult of Mac Magazine, along with a trick to making your iOS folders look round with no jailbreak required, a frank appraisal of the Apple Watch one year in, 8 killer Instagram tips, the world’s biggest Apple Museum and much, much more.

Here are the top stories for this week.

Spring into action with these hot new iOS games [Reviews]

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New iOS games April 2016
We have a little bit of everything this time.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

April has arrived, which means that the cold and snowy weather is ostensibly behind us. In my case, I’ve traded it in for cold and rainy weather. But it’s still an improvement, so I’ll take it.

And if you’re looking for a way to celebrate the slightly improved temperatures, what better way than taking some cool, new iOS games for a spin outside? Just go to a park, sit in the sun, and jam your nose into your iPhone or iPad and ignore all of the beauty and wonder that surrounds you. Because we live in the future now, and that’s what we do.

Plus, these games are really good. Check them out.

The week in apps: streaming video, HDR photography, and more [Deals]

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Easily capture your screen, burn digital media and enjoy new features like audio Enhancement
Easily capture your screen, burn digital media and enjoy new features like audio Enhancement
Photo: Cult of Mac Deals

Another week, another round of super useful apps priced to move. And this is a diverse bunch: HDR photography, finance management, streaming video capture and more. We wouldn’t share them with you if they weren’t useful, and they’re all available for at least half off:

Hacker puts Windows 95 on Apple Watch for some reason

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Windows 95 on Apple Watch
Yep. That is definitely Windows 95 on Apple Watch.
Photo: Nick Lee

We’ve seen a lot of people do a lot of things with Apple’s debut wearable, but one hacker wasn’t satisfied merely to summon the ghosts of ancient first-party mobile and desktop operating systems. No, hacker Nick Lee set himself the goal of putting the venerable Windows 95 on Apple Watch.

Lee set out on the project out of nostalgia for the computer he grew up with in the ’90s (oh, kids), and he succeeded by patching some files in the native WatchKit development framework to sneak in his own app. In this case, that app was the 20-year-old disk image. And it works, provided you have a bit of time to wait for the new system to boot up.

Seriously, it takes a while. See it in action in the video below.

Should ‘peak iPhone’ make Apple terrified about the future? [Friday Night Fights]

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fnf
Are you worried about Apple?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple just reported its worst quarter in 13 years.

FNF-bugRight now, that’s just a small blemish on an otherwise darn near perfect record. But the concern is that it could signal the start of a much greater decline, ushering in an era in which Cupertino is no longer the overwhelmingly dominant force in all things shiny and aluminum.

Should Tim Cook and Co. really be worried about declining demand, and should fans be worried about Apple’s future? Or will our favorite gadget maker be back with a bang?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Android and Cult of Mac as we throw hands (not literally) over these topics and more!

Amazing screen cleaner offers post-wipe protection [Reviews]

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Whoosh Screen Shine 02
Don't even ask what this iPad looked like before.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Best List: Whoosh Screen Shine Duo+

I don’t try to get my screens all fingerprinted and gross — they just get that way all on their own. It’s inevitable, really; we touch most of the screens we use throughout the day, and our hands are way dirtier than we think. I own more microfiber cloths than I do Lightning cables, but apparently my hands are grubbier than a normal human’s, so I need some more help. And apparently, that extra step is Whoosh Screen Shine.

It’s a screen-cleaning system that adds a bit of spray into the mix and claims it can repel fingerprints. I tried out the Duo+ version, which includes both desk- and travel-sized bottles, and it’s made my endless smudge hunt much more bearable.

Google Trips app will help you plan your next vacation

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HEADING
Google Trips on Android.
Photo: AndroidWorld
Google Trips on Android. Screenshots: AndroidWorld
Google Trips on Android. Screenshots: AndroidWorld

Google is working on a new app called Trips that will help users plan their next vacation by automatically pulling information from their emails. The app will also help travelers find things to do while they’re away, and offer reviews from locals.

Rumors of iPhone 7, Apple Watch 2, and a kid builds a world-class Apple collection on The CultCast

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One of the world's most impressive collection of Apple artifacts belongs to a 15-year-old kid.
One of the world's most impressive collection of Apple artifacts belongs to a 15-year-old kid.
Photo: Alex's Apple Orchard

This week on The CultCast: Apple’s 13-year record revenue streak is broken; our best picture yet of iPhone 7’s features; rumors point to a faster, untethered Apple Watch 2; Apple has a huge increase in R&D spending, but where’s the money going? And stick around for more stories from the Cult of Mac. This time, a 15-year-old builds one of the world’s most impressive Apple collections.

Our thanks for Freshbooks for supporting this episode. FreshBooks is the easy-to-use invoicing software designed to help small business owners get organized, save time invoicing and get paid faster. Get started now with a 30-day free trial.

7 amazing iPad apps to make your photos pop

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All you need are your photos, an iPad, and these apps.
All you need are your photos, an iPad, and these apps.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

When you’re looking to create special, one-of-a-kind photo on your iPad, you might be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices out there. We’ve taken some time to find the best apps for photo editing on the iPad and create some step-by-step how-tos to ensure you get the best results.

Whether you’re just looking to out-game your Instagram buddies or create a stunning double exposure photo on your iPad, here are the 7 best ways to make your photos pop.

Apple’s CEO security budget is surprisingly low

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Tim Cook WWDC 2015
At least he has that knife.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac

Apple doesn’t spend the least of any huge company on security for head Tim Cook, but it’s way less than we expected.

Considering the iPhone maker is the biggest company, well, ever, we thought that its board might be especially interested in shelling out some major coin to keep Cook safe. But we looked at several different corporations, and Apple’s spending on CEO security is on the lower end.

Like the way lower end. As in, you would not believe how much Facebook pays to keep founder and head Mark Zuckerberg alive.

How to use your Apple Watch to control your Apple TV

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Control your Apple TV from your Apple Watch.
Control your Apple TV from your Apple Watch.
Photo: Rob LeFebvre/Cult of Mac

What a magical world we live in. We can lift our Apple Watch up to listen to music, talk to our friends, and (yes) even tell the time.

If you’re an Apple TV user, you can send your Apple Watch tunes to the big screen, and you can even control your Apple TV right from your wrist.

Simply magical. Here’s how to control your Apple TV with your Apple Watch.

Google Photos update brings better search, customizable movies

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google-photos-update-brings-better-search-customizable-movies-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604n6p_photos_update-search-png
If you're still not using Photos, you're missing out.
Photo: Google
Google Photos
If you’re still not using Photos, you’re missing out. Photo: Google

Google is rolling out a major Photos update that adds a greater search experience, and the ability to customize movies that were created automatically. The release also makes it possible to rename, create, and delete folders on microSD cards.

HP’s latest MacBook rival will only cost you half as much

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hps-latest-macbook-rival-will-only-cost-you-half-as-much-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201604HP-Chromebook-13-jpg
It's even made of aluminum.
Photo: HP
HP-Chromebook-13
It’s even made of aluminum. Photo: HP

HP has another answer to the super sleek Apple MacBook, and despite similar specifications, it costs less than half the price.

The new all-aluminum Chromebook 13 boasts an Intel Core M processor, up to 16GB of RAM, and a battery that lasts up to 11.5 hours in between charges — and it starts at just $599!

The Jot 8.5 eWriter brings notepads into the digital age [Reviews]

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boogie-board-jot-8-5 - 4
Still better than a "smart" refrigerator.
Photo: George Tinari/Cult of Mac

Nowadays it seems like we’re ready to replace just about every standalone device with a smartphone app or add a Wi-Fi connection to it, when the reality is that plenty of these devices work perfectly fine already. (I’m looking at you, Wi-Fi-enabled refrigerators.) So it was refreshing to be able to review a product that’s confident in what it is and what it isn’t: the Boogie Board Jot 8.5 eWriter.

The Jot 8.5 is an ultra-thin display that lets you write or draw whatever you want on it, then instantly erase all the contents at the push of a button. Think of it as a practical Etch-A-Sketch that doesn’t suck.

For world’s biggest Apple museum, book a flight to Italy

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The All About Apple Museum in Savona, Italy.
The All About Apple Museum in Savona, Italy.
Photo: All About Apple Museum

Cult of Mac 2.0 bugFor years, Apple has been under pressure to open an Apple museum. The company’s rich and storied past has its fans clamoring for a central repository of that history.

Word from the company: No. Apple’s leaders say they are more interested in the future than the past.

In fact, the most complete historical collection of all things Apple is nowhere near Cupertino. The serious Apple fan must travel to, of all places, Savona, Italy.